Announcing Your Engagement

Fun ideas for letting the important people in your life know about your engagement.

Congratulations on your engagement! Before you start booking locations and looking for the perfect wedding dress, take some time to let everyone in on the wonderful news. Announcing your engagement is a special part of the entire wedding process, so feel free to savor the moment.

Who to Tell First?

If either you or your fiance have children from another relationship, it's vital that you inform the children of the news first. Even if you are certain your children will be thrilled with the idea of a wedding, take the opportunity to speak with them privately and address any concerns they might have. Children see events and changes differently than adults and it is important to make them feel like they are part of the process and not caught off guard or left out.

After you've let the children know about the engagement, the parents of the bride and groom should be the next to hear the news. Then, it's time to let all your friends and family know.

Sending Engagement Cards and Save the Dates

Engagement announcements are most commonly used for very formal weddings. They announce your engagement, sharing that details about the wedding will follow. The wording usually follows the same style as a wedding invitation, stating something to the effect of, "James and Elizabeth Smith are thrilled to announcement the engagement of their daughter Ava to Christopher, son of Adam and April Bowen." Including an engagement photo is an excellent idea, as well.

Save the dates are the modern alternative to the engagement announcement. They're usually mailed to your guests four to six months before the wedding to provide key information such as the date, location, and wedding website URL.

If you're working with a tight budget, consider creating your own engagement announcements or save the date cards using the professionally designed templates on The Printable Wedding. All you'll need to do is choose a design, add your text, and print the cards onto the paper of your choice. Many of the templates also coordinate with a full set of wedding stationery, so you can easily create a cohesive look for the big event.

Fun Ways to Announce Your Engagement via Social Media

With social media rapidly becoming the preferred method of communication for many people, you may want to come up with a special way to share the news online. This is also an easy way to spread the news to casual acquaintances who you're not planning on inviting to the wedding.

Here's a few ideas for photos you can incorporate into your status update:

Use an oil-based Sharpie paint pen to write "Does this ring make me look engaged?" on a white coffee mug. Take a picture of yourself drinking out of the mug, with your engagement ring clearly visible.

Have a friend take a picture of the two of you holding your favorite Starbucks drinks, with "Mr." and "Future Mrs." written on each cup.

Share a photo of the two of you kissing, with your palm facing the camera. Write "I said yes!" on your hand.

Have someone snap a picture of you hugging your fiance, with his back to the camera and you facing the photographer. Hold a sheet of paper that says, "I said yes!" in your hands, making sure your engagement ring is visible.

Can't get enough selfies of the two of you together? Snap a ton of selfies featuring the two of you using your arms and hands to create parts of a large heart shape. Edit the photos together to make one image with a completed heart to share online. (Bonus points if you take all the selfies at the spot where you got engaged!)

Snap a picture of the two of you in your favorite scenic spot, holding hands so your bodies form the letter "M". Edit the image so your photo is the "M" in the phrase "We're Getting Married!"

If you're animal lovers, share a picture of your pets next to a sign that says, "My humans are getting married."

If you're planning to change your last name, share a picture of the two of you together while you're holding up a chalkboard sign that says, "I'm going to be a [Future Husband's Last Name]."

Adding Another Chapter to Your Love Story

Whether you take a few days to savor the moment privately or begin planning your announcement as soon as he slips the ring on your finger, take a moment to find a way which speaks to the personalities of you as a couple. The details surrounding your engagement will forever be a part of your wedding story. By choosing a creative way to let everyone in on big news, you will add another chapter to the evolving adventure of your life together.